A manager who smoothed the way for the launching of Fanshawe Collegeís Centre Digital and Performance Arts in downtown London will receive OCASAís 2016 Emerging Leader Award.
Michelle Giroux, Supervisor, Centre for Digital and Performance Arts, Fanshawe College, will receive the award June 27 at the OCASA Leaders & Innovators Conference at King City.
The annual award recognizes administrators who have been in college management position for five years or less and are influencing the college through leadership in five areas: initiator, team player, learner, collaborator and community builder.
Michelle is the Supervisor, Centre for Digital and Performance Arts. She joined the college in 2013 as the massive construction of the Centre for Digital and Performance Arts was winding down. When the project hit roadblocks, Michelle was faced with appeasing of students who had hoped to begin their college education in the new state-of-the-art facility. Her nominator said she led the team ìwith grace . . . ensuring that proper messaging and actions were fulfilled.î
Working extensive hours, she led the team at CDPA to ensure the facility would quickly open its doors, be the jewel of Fanshawe College and a vibrant investment in downtown London.
Teamwork skills were required internally: the unique organization mixed three different programs from two different faculties, not all of whom were located on site. She liaised with many managers and staff from Fanshawe’s main campus to develop processes that ensured policy compliance with efficient execution.
Since the new facility was Fanshaweís most visible asset in downtown London, a collaborative effort was required. Prior to the students’ arrival, Michelle personally introduced herself to the business owners and established solid relationships from the beginning. Partnerships flourished; local restaurants and food vendors often host complimentary lunches for the students and contribute gift certificates and prizes to student events. This partnership and dedication to the local economy has ensured Fanshawe presence in downtown London is seen in a positive light.
At the same time, she became very active in professional development, and will begin Masterís Degree studies in September.
Nominees for the award this year included:
ï FrÈdÈric Boulanger, Regional Manager (Windsor) at CollËge BorÈal, who among a number of initiatives, increased Continuing Education enrolment by 85% in his first two years at the college;
ï Katie Burrows, Acting Registrar at Mohawk College, who in three different roles has provided leadership in development of processes and efficiencies in mentoring and support of immigrant students;
ï And Sara Munroe, Director, Technology and Learning Innovation at Northern College, who planned and executed the move of the mining engineering program on line, and led the development of a core of staff in design and delivery of the ëflipped classroomí.
ï Erica Shaw, Creative Studio Production Manager at Sheridan College, who in her second year at the college spearheaded the creative strategy to enhance the convocation ceremonies at Sheridan.